Theatre For Young America

GOODNIGHT MOON
October 13 through 31, 2009

A little bunny avoids going directly to sleep by saying “Goodnight“ to everything in sight. Now this classic bedtime story by Margaret Wise Brown, with illustrations by Clement Hurd, comes to life onstage in this delightful musical. The songs incorporate the rhymes of the book and the scenery reflects the original drawings. The adaptation by Chad Henry does add more plot to the simple storyline. The bunny is a four-year-old with a loose tooth. The Old Lady, perhaps his grandmother, tries to put him to bed. But his room is a pandemonium of toys, stories, bears, and tooth fairies. Bunny’s vivid imagination and energy for playing, and of course his wiggling tooth, make it impossible to go to sleep. Once the bears have helped yank the tooth out and the Old Lady has make her tea, Bunny tries once again to go to sleep. But first he has to say good night to all his toys, the room itself, and, of course, the moon.

National Standards:
6.1,6.2,14.1,14.2,15.2

THE TOUGHEST KID IN THE WORLD
November 10 through 18, 2009

This play dramatizes the adventures of TK, a modern youngster dealing with real problems of anger, conflict and violence.TK redefines "tough" for himself and learns personal skills that empower him to reject violence. A musical play full of humor and heart, The Toughest Kid in the World was created to enrich the Expressions course in the curriculum for sixth grader in Kansas City, Kansas, public schools. A special Outreach Workshop, Exploring Conflict Resolution Through Drama, may be conducted in classrooms at the school. This participatory drama class teaches principles of conflict resolution and problem solving. Actors from the production of The Toughest Kid in the World conduct the workshops. Teachers are provided with a special manual of classroom activities. Professional development workshops for teachers are also available.

National Standards:
1.6,1.8,1.9,1.10,6.1,6.2,7.1,14.1,14.2

Missouri Standards:
1.5,1.8,2.3,3.1,4.1,4.3,4.7,CA2,H7

Kansas Standards: Theatre
1.1,5.1,5.2,5.2,5.3,5.4; Health
1.5,3.1,3.4,4.4,5.1,5.3,5.4,6.

MADELINE'S CHRISTMAS
December 1 through 26, 2009

"In a old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.” So begins this delightful story from the beloved book series of Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. It’s the winter season but none of the girls can go home for the holidays because they are all sick with flu Madeline is having to care for everyone including Miss Clavel. The adventure begins when a mysterious rug merchant comes to the door of the school with twelve very special rugs—one for each of the students. The next morning everyone feels better and the students are able to fly home on the carpets for a holiday treat. Miss Clavel stays at the school with a mouse. The girls arrive back for a reunion with Miss Clavel for New Year’s Eve and all thank Madeline for their great trip. The play has book and lyrics by Jennifer Kerby and music by Shirley Mier.

National Standards:
1.5, 1.7, 3.1, 6.1, 6.2, 13.1, 14.1, 14.2, 15.1

NATE THE GREAT
February 2 through 20, 2010

Nate the Great is the sharpest kid detective ever to solve his neighborhood’s mysteries With his trench coat, Sherlock Holmes hat, his trusty dog Sludge, and his friend Rosamond, he sets out to investigate important cases—important to a youngster, that is. Plus he always remembers to leave his mom a note, wear his galoshes, and make it home in time for pancakes. Pamela Sterling has adapted this comic mystery from the famous NATE THE GREAT series of books by the award-winning Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. With jazz music in the backgound and with the style of adult detectives in the movies and television, Nate and his friends use their brains and their problem-solving skills to find out answers to kid’s questions. They also learn a little science along the way. Besides being funny, this play encourages critical thinking skills.

National Standards:
1.6,6.1,6.2, 14,1,14.2

JUNIE B. JONES AND A LITTLE MONKEY BUSINESS
March 2 through April 16,2010

Barbara Parks wildly popular Junie B. Jones character comes to life onstage in this musical adaptation of the book JUNIE B. JONES AND A LITTLE MONKEY BUSINESS. Junie is a high-spirited youngster who has an unusual way of looking at life. The play is told from her point of view. Her parents, at first, tell her she is getting a present. She is so excited until she finds out the present is a P.U.baby brother! At first she is disappointed and, not to mention, jealous, but then when she hears that her new baby brother is “cute as a monkey”, she begins to brag about that “monkey.” She gets the school kids to give her their snack tickets and all kinds of great gifts in exchange for a peek at the monkey! The principal (boss of the school, as Junie says) straightens Junie out about “figures of speech.” Junie learns that the baby is not so bad after all. She says, “He’s the cutest monkey I ever saw. I’m a lucky duck!” The songs and words are by Joan Cushing, the same playwright who adapted TYA’s MISS NELSON series of musicals.

National Standards:
1.5,1.8,6.2,7.1,13.1,14.1,14.2

THE MONARCHS OF KC
April 20 through May 15,2010

The Monarchs of KC brings to vivid life the essential story and some of the most interesting characters from the era of the Negro Leagues in America, exploring the joy, skill and courage of these players in their simple quest to play the game and play it fairly Set in the locker room of the abandoned stadium where the Negro League teams once played, the musical play raises the ghosts of great baseball players of the Negro Leagues to play one last great contest to conquer the supremacy of the all-white Major Leagues. Rube Foster, who founded the Negro National League in Kansas City, comes to life to manage an all-star dream team that includes Leroy “Satchel” Paige, James “Cool Papa” Bell, Wilbur “Bullet” Rogan, Josh Gibson, Jackie Robinson, and Toni Stone, a female player who held her own in the largely male world of professional baseball. This team of ghostly giants goes up against the racism that kept black players out of major league baseball from 1898 to 1947 and play a final glorious game in which everyone has equal rights to three strikes, four balls and nine innings of fair play. Along the way they revive the joy of the Negro Leagues baseball games in songs such as “Baseball is a Working Man’s Game,” “Everybody Gets Three Strikes,” and “I Dreamed I was in the Major Leagues.”

ROBIN HOOD
June 15 through July 3, 2010

Take a trip back to the middle ages to Sherwood Forest with Robin Hood and his merry band who rob from the rich and give to the poor. In this fun-filled adventure play favorite characters appear: the lovely Maid Marian, the reckless Friar Tuck, the bold Little John, the greedy Sheriff of Nottingham, and the valiant, fun-loving Robin Hood. Although verifiable proof of the existence of Robin Hood does not exist, there are many legends based on actual historical accounts of a fugitive named “Robinhud.” Students will enjoy seeing the archery, games, costumes, and customs of long ago England as they experience the triumph of good over evil.

National Standards:
1.1, 1.2, 1.6, 1.7, 1.10, 5.6, 6.1, 6.2, 13.1, 14.1, 14.2